The Bet
by Orange Gel
Summary: During their high school years, Peony challenges Jade to a wager Jade may not be able to win. BL Jade/Saphir.
1. Chapter 1

The Bet

Still, as I look back, I cannot for the life of me know if I should have thanked His Majesty or killed him. That day will always be etched in my memory; the day I, Jade Curtiss, was wrong. Now I'm not talking about fomicry, or any of my other serious shortcomings, I'm talking about the one thing that His Majesty was so proud of knowing all along that I did not. Of course, at the time, I was arrogant enough to believe him wrong.

It was fall, twenty years ago...

ND1998

Have I really become that predictable? Trying to escape for a little peace, I head to the roof to eat my lunch and read. I open the door and there they are, my so called troop of friends. I sigh, as Peony, Jasper, and even Saphir break out laughing at my failure to be alone.

"Ja~ade! I knew you'd be here!" Curse Saphir for getting to know me so well, and curse Peony and Jasper for making friends with him.

"Shouldn't you be with you private tutor, Your Majesty?" I don't even know why I ask these pointless questions. He's just going to give me the same response.

"Snuck out." And there it is, with a mouthful of sandwich to boot.

Defeated, I take my seat on the ground with the group. Saphir hands me a sandwich, commenting that an apple does not make a full lunch. I take it; he does make good sandwiches. Upon noticing a sudden silence, I notice that, to Peony, Jasper, and Saphir, the food has become rather interesting. I've seen this before. It is clear that before my arrival they were talking about either myself or a topic I would find irritating. I look up, give them one of my annoyed stares, and ask, "What?"

Peony tries to speak, but Jasper interrupts, "Nothing!" Jasper still hasn't learned how to deal with me. Knowing me for nearly a decade, Peony and Saphir just sigh. Jasper's attempt to get me to drop it is quite futile.

I turn to Saphir, I can always get information out of him. Saphir swallows nervously, and points an accusing finger at Peony, "He started it! I told him you would never go for it!"

Okay, now I'm annoyed. I rub my temples and sigh. Calm, Jade, it's only something stupid. "What would I not go for, Your Majesty?"

"We can't just drop this, can we?" Jasper tries one more time. He probably believes I will set our dear crown prince on fire.

"Too late." Peony sighs, "I was just wondering why you never had a girlfriend."

What? I choke on my sandwich, and Saphir hands me a water. Now this is really stupid. This is dumber than his fears of me sneaking into his room at night and stealing his rapigs for science! I mean, even I can't get past _all_ those guards. I compose myself by pushing up my glasses, so they cannot see my absolute shock over Peony's dumb statement. "That, Peony, is the dumbest thing I have ever heard you say." Everyone knows I only use Peony's name when I'm irritated by him. I think of it as a way of denying who is the future of my country.

"It's not dumb! Every guy starts to think a little about girls when he hits puberty! Dear Yulia, if you haven't gone through it yet, puberty's gonna hit you like a brick!" As Peony defends his point, I realize this is not exactly what I asked in the first place.

"Wait, what does this have to do with 'what I would never go for'?" Jasper puts his head into his hands and Peony grins. That grin always ends with trouble. What worries me is that grin is usually used when he teases Saphir, not me.

Familiar with Peony's expression, Saphir whimpers under his breath. Peony stands and points to me. "A wager! I bet that even you can have feelings for someone."

"I don't have time for this."

Saphir stands and wags his finger at Peony, "See? You are clearly wasting your time, and Jade's! We are working on very important-"

Peony cuts Saphir off, "If I'm wrong, I let you two replicate one of my rapigs! You need a live subject, right?"

Oh my, now things have gotten interesting. Clearly, Peony was very confident in his claim. "And if I were to lose?"

"Jade!" That was actually Jasper. Saphir has also become excited over the prize.

Peony waves a dismissive hand at Jasper. "Aw, don't worry 'Good J.C.'! I got this!" He turns to me and crosses his arms. "_When _you lose, you will be tending to my rapigs for a week, and you will admit you were wrong to the _entire_ Malkuth military; that includes students."

I will admit, taking care of rapigs and publicly claiming I'm incorrect about something are right at the top of my hate list. However, being able to use a live subject before I graduate would speed up our research significantly. Well, I do believe feelings like love and adoration are quite vapid. All feelings associated with love are severely over exaggerated to the point of being pure nonsense. Logically, I would be a fool to not accept this challenge. "Very well, Peony. I accept."

Jasper groans as Peony and I shake hands. The specifics of the bet include a thirty day time limit, agreeing to let Peony set me up with different women, and my attendance at various palace parties that I usually try to avoid. Peony takes off soon after to prepare for tomorrow, or day one of thirty.

Jasper sighs upon Peony's exit, "This is insane. You're really going to put a life in danger? I cannot let you win this."

"It's just a stupid rapig, Jasper!" Saphir exclaims. I decide to head to class. I notice Jasper holding Saphir back as I leave. I guess he's not done with his lecture. I'm glad he's at least smart enough not include me.

DAY 1

It was sometime between brushing my teeth and dressing for school, that I realize something was amiss. Never mind Peony's note about my first date being taped to my door, which spurred quiet laughter from my peers. I expected that much; I burned the note and gave off a look that shut them all up. I gathered up my books, and that's when it hit me. Saphir has not put in an appearance yet. I put down my things and knock on his door. I certainly can't afford him being punished for tardiness; it will take away from our research time. When no response came after three knocks, I turn the knob. Locked. Odd, Saphir only locks the door when he is not in the room, but I would have seen him leave. I stare at the door pondering when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I whirl around and shout, "Where the hell have you- Oh, Jasper, it's just you."

Jasper stepped back when I faced him; I must have scared him. "If you're looking for Saphir, he left for class about an hour ago."

I push up my glasses, "I see." I find this highly unusual. Saphir has made himself my permanent accessory since the day we met. What would suddenly make him go somewhere without me?

Jasper watches me for a moment, then cocks his head to the side. "Gee, I thought you'd be thrilled to be rid of him."

Yes, Saphir is loud, annoying, clingy, and whiny. Yes, he gives me constant headaches. However, besides myself, he is the most intelligent person I have ever met. Also, if I did not want someone hanging around me, believe me, I would let them know it. They don't call me "evil" for nothing. Of course, I'm not about to admit that I'm disappointed. "Whatever, it's just strange is all. Now, excuse me, I don't want to be late." Without an offer to walk with me to school, I head out.

Unfortunately, we have different courses in the morning, so I must wait until lunch to question Saphir. I go to the roof, but the only one there waiting for me is Peony. "Hey! You better be ready for tonight! I've set you up with one of the most beautiful ladies in all Malkuth!"

Lorelei save me; this is going to be the longest thirty days of my life. "Have you seen Saphir today?"

Peony looks around, suddenly confused. "Huh, no. I thought he was with you." At this point, I realize I have not seen Saphir since lunch yesterday. Odd. I sit down, open a random book, and munch on my apple. Peony sits next to me, and pulls down my book. "Did you finally tell him to piss off?"

Honestly, do I treat him that poorly? Maybe. Still, Saphir's sudden avoidance is a bit irritating. "Why would I be looking for him, if I told him to get lost?"

"True. When did you last talk to him?"

"This time yesterday."

"Hmm... What did you say to him after I left?"

"Literally nothing. I left for class while he and Jasper were discussing science ethics."

"Maybe he's mad you left him behind."

"Honestly, when has that stopped him?"

I try to reclaim my book, but Peony pushes it down again. "Why do you care anyway?"

"Mere curiosity." I state plainly as I yank my book out of his grasp. "Now, let me enjoy this peace and quiet while I have it."

"Fine." Peony stands and heads for the door. "Meet her at the cafe at 5 this evening. Don't you dare be late!"

My reply is a disgusted grunt, and he exits.

At five in the evening, I find myself sitting across from a red-head with unbelievably large breasts. It took all my years of learning etiquette to not inquire if they were real. I allow her to dither on about how hard it is to find nice shoes to match her dress and how long it takes to do her hair. I quickly become bored. As I start to get into variables I haven't tried yet on replication, I realized she asked me a question. "I'm sorry; what was that again?"

"I was wondering what it was that made you want to go to military school."

"Oh," I gave my usual half truth, "My adopted family thought it would be best for me."

The girl was not very bright. I was forced to simplify my words at least four times the whole evening. When I brought her home that evening, I made it quite clear, politely, that I was not interested.

The first week of dates were all similar. Finally, I told Peony if he was going to keep this up, he better find a girl who at least made it into decent schooling. Also, Saphir was definitely making a conscious effort to avoid me all week. Every time I try to ask what his problem is, he just runs off.

DAY 8

I'm not sure the cause, maybe meeting all of those stupid women, but I noticed my concentration was starting to slip. Today, before class, I was reading the same line in a book over and over again. When I took a closer look to see why I could not comprehend it, I noticed the book was upside down. Later, I was walking toward the labs, and even with my perfect vision, I slammed right into a door. Of course, witnesses spread this news all over. When I was leaving for my next "suitor", Peony was at the gates laughing his ass off.

"Jade, are you okay?" He managed to giggle out between hysterical laughter. "I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear it from Jasper!" He continues to laugh.

I feign ignorance. "Whatever could you be talking about, Your Majesty?"

"Oh, please," the laughing was getting annoying, "Even you can't miss how wacky you were acting today! You ran into a door!"

"So I did." He's still laughing. "Damn it Peony! Compose yourself." I take a deep breath as I push up my glasses. I believe I made people stare.

A few deep breaths and he finally stops. "Sorry. Just, what is wrong with you?"

"I haven't really figured it out myself. Perhaps exposure to your taste in women is shorting out my brain cells."

"Or, one of them has effected you."

"Certainly not. I don't even remember any of their names." Giving Peony the benefit of a doubt, I decide to carefully think back. Nothing. Nothing except, "He's still avoiding me, you know."

Peony makes a face as he asks what I'm talking about. "You mean Saphir? Damn, that _is_ weird. Ask 'Good J.C.' to talk with him. There has got to be some kind of reason. Anyway, get going, I'm not gonna make you keep a lady waiting."

I cannot even recall that night's rendezvous as I make my way back to the dormitory. Peony's right; better to ask Jasper instead of trying to corner Saphir. Saphir can run pretty fast when he wants to. Jasper let me in and, after pleasantries, I got straight to the point. "Do you have any ideas as to what's bothering Saphir?"

Jasper raised an eyebrow at my question. He knows something. He's doing that thing where he scratches the back of his head and chuckles nervously. "Uh, hmm... Maybe he has a secret or something he does not want you to know."

Absurd! He's lying, or giving a half truth. Saphir hates secrets, and I would have recognized any mistake in our research or any other blunder he may have made within a week! I begin to pace. This makes Jasper nervous, because I always pace when I'm frustrated.

"Why don't you tell him that his absence this week has hurt your feelings?" I stop and glare at Jasper. Hurt, by _Saphir_? Ridiculous! It's just so strange, that it's bothering me a little is all! "I mean if you were not hurt by his avoiding you, you would have forgotten all about it by now."

"Forget it." This has gotten me nowhere. I storm back to my room and slam my door for good measure.


	2. Chapter 2

_First, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed, fav'ed, and put my story on their alert list. Thanks so much! Second, apologies for taking a long time to update. I was not scared off, just super busy with work and life. Last, I will be the first to admit, my grammar sucks. Also, I'm sorry if characters are OOC. I obviously do not own them; they belong to Namco Bandai and they know them best. Thanks again for all the support, it makes this project well worth finishing._

Chapter Two

DAY 9

As I entered the school gates the following morning, I noticed a bit of a crowd in the courtyard. At first, I could not care less about whatever spectacle they were all witnessing, then I heard a very recognizable shriek.

"Call off your damned beast, you pea brain!"

Saphir was running across the courtyard as if his life depended on it it. A very determined rappig was at his heels, and shortly behind the rappig, was the shameless future of my country.

"I'll call him off when you stop and talk to me, Saphir!"

I heard a thud and another shriek from Saphir. I casually glanced around the crowd to see Saphir pinned to the ground by one of Peony's beloved pets.

"Good job, Jade!"

What? What did _I _do? Saphir seemed equally confused. "Jade? Where?"

Peony plopped down onto Saphir's lap next to the rappig, that was taking residence on Saphir's stomach, and began to scratch behind the rappig's ears. "That's a good boy, Jade"

"Wait. You named the _rappig_ 'Jade'? That's positively disgusting! Do you have _any_ idea of what Jade will do to you when he finds out you named a stinky rappig after him?"

I did not hear that right. I could not have heard that right. Not even Peony would do something so stupid as to name a rappig after me.

"Not just 'Jade'. I have a 'Nephry' and a 'Saphir' too. 'Saphir's' nose even runs just like yours!" Peony grins as Saphir cringes in disgust.

"You sick bastard!" Saphir tried to get out from under Peony and, no I'm not calling that thing by my name, the rappig, but their combined weight was way too much for Saphir. "What the hell is wrong with you? Forget your taste in pet names; you just shamelessly ran me down in front of the whole school!"

"My problem? What about you? Why have you been avoiding Jade since we started this bet? And since when were you so buddy-buddy with Jasper? I thought you could barely tolerate him. You're acting very suspicious, Saphir."

Did I ever mention how much I hate it when Peony interferes with personal matters? I do not believe he's very good with subtlety.

"That is none of your- Ow! Damn it, you're crushing me! Oh gross, it's going to take weeks to get rid of this horrid smell!"

"The sooner you answer my questions, the sooner 'Jade' and I release you."

"I said that's none of your business! It has nothing to do with your stupid bet! Which, by the way, you will _lose_! And I'm sure Jade will select _this_ rappig as our test subject!"

Witnessing this scene, I'm sure Peony will get a new rappig and name it after me out of sheer enjoyment if I end up killing it in our work. Oh well. This exchange will probably take hours, for they are both equally stubborn. I probably should tell Saphir's professor that he's currently having an audience with His Majesty and will probably be late, if I think of it when I pass his classroom...

Later in the day, I met up with Peony on the roof. He instantly sees my stern expression and returns it with a coy one of his own. "Good afternoon, Jade! How's it goin'?"

"I saw your little 'show' this morning."

Peony beams, "Did you? Would you like to critique my performance?"

"Do not make anymore scenes on my behalf. I can fight my own battles, thank you. Did you even accomplish anything by doing that?" I rub my temples as I await his reply.

Peony frowns, "Not really. After a ton of yelling, he just passed out. I took him to the nurse, then I brought 'Ja-'"

"The _rappig_." I interject.

Peony chuckles, "Aw, you don't like my pet names?"

"No."

"Too bad." Peony gives me a smirk. He knows there's nothing I can do about this particular situation. I sigh; I can't win _every_ battle with His Majesty.

DAY 10

I'm starting to notice that the conversation I had with Jasper the other night has made me quite irritable. Am I mad, because Jasper could be right? No, it can't be. It's just starting to take too long for me to solve this little puzzle. Not knowing an answer frustrates me to no end. It's only the situation, my feelings are _not_ hurt. I only want to know why Saphir is avoiding me. What the hell is he thinking? What brought on his sudden change of behavior? Damn it! Last night's rendezvous did not help my attitude. That girl was much too chatty. Once she started talking about yesterday morning's display, my brow began to twitch. Also, for some reason that I'm still trying to figure out, I snapped at her when she claimed Saphir got what he deserved. I have much more self control than that.

It would not be a lie to say I was grateful for not running into His Majesty today. I really did not want to deal with him. Instead, I managed to corner Jasper again.

"Jade, are you all right? You seem more, uh, serious than usual." Jasper seemed more nervous around me than usual. "Are you mad at me or something?"

"I have no reason to be upset with you. That said, I would like to know why you and Saphir are suddenly on friendly terms."

Instantly, his hand reaches to scratch behind his head and he lets out a nervous chuckle, "I guess he no longer sees me as some kind of threat..."

Unlikely. Saphir may now tolerate Jasper, but I see no reason why he would even consider hanging out with Jasper on his own volition. There is something going on. "Well, since the two of you seem to be on such good terms, perhaps you can tell me the reason for Saphir's sudden change in behavior."

Jasper swallows audibly. "Uh, well..." He's reaching for an excuse, "Um, th-that's, that's not really my business..."

I push up my glasses to hide my increasing annoyance of him dodging my questions. "Fine." Knowing that pushing the issue would be a wasted effort, I leave Jasper and return to the dormitory.


	3. Chapter 3

_Once again thanks and cookies to those that reviewed, fav'ed, or set this fic on their alerts. I wrote this chapter rather fast, and on a bit of a whim. Also apologies in advance for lack of Saphir in this chapter. It's a little hard to to write this in Jade's POV, and write in someone who's avoiding him. Also, I claim no ownership of these characters, they belong to Bandai Namco. Thanks for reading. ~Orange Gel_

DAY 11

I forgot something. I don't know what the something is; however, and it had been nagging at me for the entire duration of my walk to school. Great, this stupid mystery regarding Saphir has started to effect my memory. As I walked into the building, I realized there are girls whispering and giving me very angry looks. I think today is the first day I have ever noticed girls in our school, actually. They seem rather unafraid of me, and when I've just about had enough, I sharply turn to the nearest one and inquire, "Do you have a problem with me?"

"It's one thing to reject every girl you date, Curtiss, but it's just plain vulgar for you to start standing girls up!"

Well there it is. I completely forgot to meet with the girl Peony set me up with last night. The girl continues to glare at me. I believe she's waiting for some kind of excuse. After a minute, I start to wonder how I avoided confrontations like these in the past. I don't believe I ever had to come up with excuses before. Usually when someone confronts me about not doing something, Saphir interjects at this point saying, "better things to do..." Shit, did I just say that aloud?

"What was that? If you have better things to do, then don't make promises you can't keep!"

I look around and realize we have attracted an audience. I begin to look for an escape, and as soon as I spot an opening I run off. And now, I'm running down the hall like an idiot. This has made even more of scene, because I'm not one to run away from things, and it certainly does not help that the girl and several of her friends have decided to make chase. This is ridiculous. They're not monsters, so I can't just kill them. I round the corner and spot the boys lavatory. Perfect. I run inside and slam the door behind me. I catch my breath as I hear the girls give up and finally head to class. That had to be the most childish thing I have ever done in my life. A stifled chuckle and cough suddenly made me aware that I was not alone. Jasper was steadying himself on the sink with one hand and has the other clamped over his mouth. He was trying very hard not to laugh.

"What did you do?" Jasper bites his lip after that statement to keep his snickers at bay.

I straighten myself and push up my glasses. "Whatever do you mean?"

Jasper lets out a small chuckle, "Was that really a mob of angry girls, and were you really running from them?" More snickers, then he clamps his hand back on his mouth.

"Well what did it look like to you, Jasper?"

"It's just, well, it doesn't seem like your style. Why were you running from them?"

"I wanted out of a pointless conversation, and simply walking away was not an option at the time." I feel heat rise to my face. "As to why they decided to chase me down, I have no idea."

Jasper takes a couple of breaths to stop the chuckles, "Girls can hold big grudges, and if you piss _one_ off, you piss off _all_ of them."

"I take it you heard."

"It was hard _not_ to hear about it. News and gossip spread like wild fire here. Why'd you do it anyway?"

"The rendezvous slipped my mind... Although, I should think these blind dates have become routine by now..."

"Saphir still getting you down?"

"It's just the situation! I'm worried his behavior might slow down our research." I look away from Jasper. His assessment of my situation is really starting to get under my skin.

I hear Jasper push off the sink and cross his arms. "Really?" His tone was serious. "Have you even been to the labs since this started?"

"Of course not! Peony's stupid 'dating service' has been taking up all of my free time!"

"Then what's the problem? _You're_ not doing anything right now. How is Saphir slowing things down?"

I did not have an answer, so I just gave him my usual glare and exited the lavatory.

* * *

I must have been in some sort of automatic state during lunch, because I found myself climbing the stairs toward the roof. I could already tell His Majesty and Jasper were up there since they were engaged in a conversation. For some reason, I just didn't feel like approaching them yet. Instead, I decided to listen to their discussion from the shadows of the door.

"Man this sucks! I've thrown every girl I know at him, and it's like he's **immune** to their charms or something! He's even managed to piss them all off!"

"Sorry Your Highness... Hmm, you know he could be gay."

"Gay? Like super happy? Are you blind?"

"No, no. I mean gay like he prefers guys."

"Guys? You mean he could be into men? How the hell does that even work? Wait, don't answer that, I don't want to know..."

"I don't mean any disrespect, Your Highness, but you never heard of homosexuality?"

"Well, I never _met_ anyone like that before. But if that's really the case... Dammit! I don't know anything about hooking _guys_ up!"

I believe this is the first time have been simultaneously amused and disturbed. I've never even gave any thought to my own sexual preference, but that's one of the reasons I knew I would win this bet. I would never be prey to such absurd emotions from women _or_ men. I should probably interrupt them before Peony suggests something stupid. I open the door and step out onto the roof. "Giving up yet, Your Majesty?"

Peony notices my entrance and instantly storms up into my personal space, "Tell me you didn't pull that shit last night on purpose."

"What would I gain from _planning_ to stand up a girl?"

Peony gives off a disgusted sigh as if his point was obvious. "You have made every teenage girl in Grand Chokmah hate your guts! How the hell am I supposed to find you your ideal girl if none of them will date you?"

I cannot help but smile at his statement. While I did not think of this plan, it works out quite nicely. I may have seen the end of these annoying dates. "Well that does pose a bit of a problem, now does it?"

Peony steps back a couple of paces and crosses his arms. Suddenly the idiot blurts out, "Are you into guys?"

If I did not over hear this two minutes ago, I would have hit him. Normal people don't just come out and ask stupid things like that. Instead, since I saw it coming, I just sigh and rub my forehead. "Do you even know what you're saying half the time?"

Peony shrugs, "It's an honest question. I'm not just going to give up with over two weeks to go. Besides, I _know_ I can win this."

"Very well. I don't know, but I could do without any new preposterous rumors."

"Fine, I'll keep it subtle-"

"Do you even know what that word means?"

"Oh, are you're trying to do humor? Cute, Jade."

Jasper just watches our exchange in disbelief. It's not a normal conversation between a prince and a subject by any means. A moment of silence passes between us, then Peony snaps his fingers. He has a new idea; will wonders never cease?

"Come to the gala tonight. We'll check out some, err.. um, people! Yeah, people watching." Peony chuckles nervously. Considering that guys dating guys is news to him, I wouldn't be surprised if he was homophobic.

* * *

I hate expensive parties, and I hate pointless non-occasion expensive parties even more. It was part of the deal; however, so here I am. Really though, I wish he didn't get Mother Curtiss involved to make sure I was coming tonight. Now she'll nag me about finding a mate until Keterburg becomes a damned desert. I drum my fingers on the table. I'm starting to think the only way to figure out what Saphir's issue is, is to ask him directly. What I can't figure out for the life of me, is why haven't I tried that yet? I start flicking my finger subconsciously on the water glass. As I continue going over various strategies on how to corner Saphir, His Majesty plops down next me.

"Jade, are you even looking at anybody?"

To be fair I looked at people, but my mind kept going back to Saphir's strange behavior. "I'm observing, but nothing is particularly grabbing at my attention."

"Then what are you thinking about? It looks like you're going to shatter that glass."

"What do you-" I stop the tapping and lower my hand, "Oh, that. It's nothing."

"It's Saphir, isn't it?" Peony guesses, and I resume tapping. Peony looks at the glass then at me, "Uh-huh, right... You know, you have been doing some rather un-Jade-like things since he stopped following you around."

Yes, I certainly have not been myself lately, but it can't be because of Saphir. I can't see how his lack of company would upset me. It's definitely weird not having him around, but I'm sure that's because I'm so used to him always being there. Still, a little weird feeling can't be enough to make me lose myself as often as I have these past couple of weeks. Has it really been eleven days since I've spoken to Saphir? More importantly, why am I counting the days to begin with?

"Jade?"

How is Saphir even _able_ to ignore me for such a length of time? He used to wake me in the middle of the night, because he couldn't even wait until morning to tell me his ideas.

"Jade, hello? Are you still with us?"

How could he just _stop_ talking to me?

"Ja~ade!"

"Saphir?" I turn around only to be met by Peony's coy grin.

"I really got you, didn't I?" Peony laughs, "You were really spacing out. Anyway, as I was saying, you're starting to act weirder than Saphir."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Seriously, Jade, why _is_ this whole thing with Saphir bothering you so much? Why don't you just corner him and demand answers like you usually do when he does something stupid? He may be fast, but you can still catch him easily. Are you scared to find out he's tired of you or something?"

Scared? I can only remember one instance in my life where I was truly afraid, and that dark time would scare anybody. How can I be afraid of losing Saphir? Sure we're friends, but I never even see my _sister_ anymore. Also, why would Saphir get 'tired' of me anyway? Peony must have caught my confused look, and continues talking.

"Well you do kinda treat him like shit sometimes. Like he's a dog constantly getting yelled at by his master. Maybe he finally grew a pair and decided he was done with it."

"I _yell_ at him?"

"More like a harsh tone, really. You never noticed?"

"No, I guess not."

"Why do you do that anyway? If you were seriously annoyed, you would just ignore him like you do to everyone else you can't stand. If I didn't know you two before the professor's death, I'd think you're using him to help you with your fomicry experiments."

Using Saphir? Does it really look like I'm treating him like a pet or a tool? Does Saphir actually believe that? Is that why he stopped following me?

"I guess he can get really squeaky sometimes... Okay, a lot of times, but you don't have to get all condescending. It's sort of like a possessive husband giving demands to his whiny wife..." Peony trails off as he says his latest ridiculous statement. Maybe he finally realizes how dumb his comments sound to the rest of us. Or, he's just going to stare at me like I'm some kind of freak... This goes on long enough for me to get severely bothered by his gaping expression. Wait, what did he say before that?

I force him to shut his gaping mouth by pushing his chin back up into place, "What are you thinking, Peony? Be _very_ careful with your answer."

Peony shakes his head, "No, it can't be. No way. Forget it. Just tell him you don't mind his company, and he'll come back to you in no time." Peony taps his chin as if he's thinking of something. After various 'maybes', 'it's possible', and 'ugh wow yeahs', he gets up. "I've got some stuff to do. Go home if you want. See you later!"

And off he goes... What the hell _was_ that?


	4. Chapter 4

_a/n: Sorry, it's been a while. Work is crazy, and sometimes I over pick at my own work... Anyway, thanks again for the favs, alerts, and reviews. I really appreciate knowing people actually read this. I hope you enjoy the new chapter:)_

_Also I don't own this stuff, Bandai Namco does, but I'm sure everybody knows that.  
_

* * *

DAY 12

I can't sleep. His Majesty acted rather strangely toward the end of our conversation last night. It's still before dawn, but I'm sure it has been quite a while since lights out. He obviously came up with a new tactic, but did he really imply that I... I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of knocking. It's not coming from the door. No, it's outside the window, not my window...

"Eek! What are you doing here in the middle of the night? Jade's room is the next window over, Pea Brain!"

Aside from the scream, Saphir is speaking in a shrill whisper. I can still hear him clearly, after all, his room is right next to mine, and the walls are awfully thin.

"Actually, I'm here to see you tonight, Buddy."

Tch, the window in the middle of the night? I shouldn't expect anything less from Peony.

"Nice pajamas, by the way."

"First you pin me to the ground with one of your disgusting creatures, and now you're coming to call in the middle of the night, through my window, and making comments about my pajamas?"

"Geez, settle down. You'll wake everybody up. Doesn't Nephry have pajamas like that?"

"Well, actually she sent these to me after she grew out of- Hey! How do you know what Nephry wears to bed?"

Yes, that _is_ a good question. How _do_ you know what Nephry wears at night, Peony?

"That's not important, and **stop** the squeaking! What if Jade wakes up?"

I rub my temples. The concept of subtlety is a definite nonoccurrence for Peony. I wouldn't be surprised if one could hear him back at the palace.

"What are you _doing_ here!"

Saphir's inquiry was more like a demand. I can hear him seething; clearly, he's embarrassed by Peony coming to his room in the middle of the night. I'm sure Peony doesn't notice or doesn't care.

"I'm still trying to figure out what your deal is. If this doesn't get resolved soon, I think Jade's officially gonna go insane."

"Did he really notice I was avoiding him?"

"Saphir, say you were carrying something really heavy for a real long time. Wouldn't you notice if it disappeared?"

"I meant did he _say_ anything about it, idiot!"

"Have you _seen_ the way Jade has been acting lately?"

For some unknown reason, I got up from my bed and sat against the wall separating our rooms. I'm not purposely listening in, those two are just too damned loud, and I won't get any sleep until they shut up. It doesn't matter that I am the topic of their conversation.

"Oh please, you're just inconveniencing him with your little game. All those cows you're forcing him to see are dulling his senses!"

"If that's really the case, why does he bring _you_ up every time he pulls out some lame excuse about how he's acting?"

"He's been talking about me?"

"It's practically all he talks about."

It is not! I'm sure it has always just come up in passing, hasn't it? Saphir's behavior has been rather puzzling, wouldn't anyone be curious about it? Surely, Peony's exaggerating.

"You, you've, you have got to be exaggerating!"

"Am I? Come on, you know him even better than me, but tell me: Does Jade Curtiss wander into doors?"

"No..."

"Does Jade Curtiss ever let his little mask slip in front of anyone he's not close to?"

"Well, no..."

"And finally, and this is the big one, would you _ever_ see Jade Curtiss running from _anyone_, let alone a group of girls?"

"Of course not!"

"Then tell me who the hell that was yesterday."

"Well..."

The room fell silent for a couple of minutes. What was Peony hoping to accomplish?

"Seriously Saphir, do you really believe women would have Jade act differently than anyone else he's forced to deal with?"

"It might..."

"How can you be so smart and so _dense_ at the same time?"

More silence. Is there a point to all of this? There must be, at least according to Peony. He has made no motion to exit the room. He's expecting Saphir to answer him. Realizing Saphir will not respond, Peony let's out a frustrated sigh.

"Why are you avoiding him anyway? Jade said you were still talking to Jasper after he left on the day we made the bet. Did he say something that upset you? You know, more than normal."

"Please! How can anything _he _say bother me?"

Saphir's voice always goes up an octave when he lies. I'm sure he's twitching like mad as well. Saphir is a horrible liar, and even he knows it. When Saphir has a secret, he'll avoid the subject at all costs, because he will always be unable to cover it up in conversation. This said, he must be hiding _something_, but he's never hid anything from me before...

"Squeaking and twitching; yeah, last time I saw you do that was when you told the Professor that the ice cracked on its own... You're definitely lying to me."

"I'm telling you nothing's wrong!"

"You already admitted you were purposely avoiding Jade. Now unless Jade did something so severe that would upset even you, which I would have heard about, Jasper put some kind of weird idea into you head about Jade."

I can hear Saphir whimpering a little bit; he does not want to answer Peony. I'm sure Peony's going to stare at Saphir until he breaks. Sure enough, after thirty-six seconds, Saphir squeaks out a quiet reply.

"Is Jade really using me, or treating me like some kind of pet?"

"Is that what he told you?" Peony pauses for a bit, then, "Well, it's not like Jasper to just say mean things, so he probably just wanted to make sure you weren't letting Jade walk all over you or something..."

"How can you say he's so nice? I swear that's just a cover!"

"Then if he just said it to piss you off, why should it bother you?"

"At first, I wanted to prove him wrong, but... Deep down I thought he might be right. Of course, I would _never_ tell Jasper that."

"So, you stopped following Jade to see if he'd miss you, and you were worried that he wouldn't even care."

"In words you can comprehend, yes, that's what I mean."

"It still doesn't make much sense. You were already constantly at his side when I met you guys, and he didn't get all obsessed until after the Professor's death. If he was using you, he wouldn't have any reason to put up with you before that."

So, Jasper put the idea that I was using Saphir into Saphir's head. Now, I'm not an expert on how friendships work, but that strikes me as a bit, well, mean. He must have a good reason, because, just as Peony mentioned, shooting off rude statements at random isn't something Jasper does on a regular basis. Why do I even care about this anyway? I don't care what others think of me. Besides, the mystery is solved, so I can finally return to my normal routine. It's over and done with. Saphir will crawl back eventually, so I need not concern myself with the issue any further... But I feel I have gone from confused to angry... Angry at Jasper... What is wrong with me? It must be lack of sleep. At least, I'm sure this night can't become any stranger...

"Oh hey, by the way, I've been meaning to ask you; do you prefer guys over girls?"

What, is he going to ask everybody he meets about that now? Honestly! Trust His Majesty to prove me wrong at the worst time... Hopefully, he's just making a bad joke. No, I'm sure he really wants to know. Idiot.

"What?"

"Are you gay?"

"Get out."

"It's an honest question, geez! Jade got pissed about it too, you two are a lot alike sometimes, you know that?"

"_Anyone_ would get upset over an idiot just blurting out a personal question like that!"

"Besides you're wearing Nephry's pajamas, and your face is as red as an apple. It's actually-"

"Get out, dammit! I will **not** let you continue to ridicule me!"

"Am I laughing?"

After realizing that Peony _was _dead serious, Saphir sighs in frustration. I hear the sudden grind of springs, he must have plopped down on the bed...

"Moron. What are you playing at anyway?" Saphir draws in a gasp as soon as the question leaves his mouth, "You can't possibly-! I mean are you so desperate that-! Where do you come up with this tripe!"

"I have a few ideas as to how I came to this conclusion, but if you're not interested, I'll just leave you in peace.."

I hear Peony crossing the room, then the window slide open. There's another sharp grind of springs, fast loud footsteps, and then the window being slammed shut.

Saphir's voice comes out in a low hiss, "Fine. I'm listening."

"Well, your reaction has definitely confirmed _your_ side of it..."

"Tell anyone, and I'll dig out your vocal cords with a spoon!"

"Ugh, okay..."

I'm not really sure what just happened there. Frankly, I'm not so sure I _want_ to know. I can't hear them anymore, only muffled whispers. They're finally making an effort to not be overheard. Whatever. At this point, I renew my efforts to get some rest.

* * *

It's now morning, and I never did get any sleep. As I drag myself toward the school, the one person I did not want to be near comes trotting up to me.

"Mornin', Jade! Wow, you look terrible."

"Hello Jasper..." My voice was venomous, and I regarded him with one of my infamous death glares.

Jasper stops walking for a moment before resuming his pace, now keeping a safe distance from me, "Okay, now you really _are_ mad at me about something."

I resist the urge to trip him right then and there, and instead I quicken my pace. Jasper matches my speed.

"Come on, Jade. It's not like you to just get pissed off without a good reason. What happened?"

I most certainly do_ not _wish to deal with this right now. It's too early, the sun is bright, and it's giving me a headache. I would also like to regain some self control before I lash out at him. It is not fair to just yell or harm someone before knowing _exactly_ what I'm so cross about. He's still asking about it. Jasper, _please_ just let go for now...

"Seriously, can you drop the 'holier than thou' act for once?" Now Jasper's starting to get angry. "If you don't talk about it, whatever it is, it'll just get worse! Friends are supposed to be able to work stuff out!"

_That _stuck my last nerve. I stop walking, and turned around to face Jasper, "You do _not_ have the _right_ to tell me what 'friends are able to do'." Jasper responded by giving me a confused and hurt expression. I turned back around, and quickly walked to the school.

I never thought I would initiate any 'school drama' in my tight circle of friends, but it appears that I cannot simply let this go. Why? Perhaps it's the lack of sleep. I stop in the hall and lean against the window to catch my breath... Why am I out of breath? Did I really make an _effort_ out of getting away from Jasper? Okay, stop and think. I'm angry, that much is clear. The anger is directed toward Jasper. Jasper told Saphir it was possible that I was using him. How does that affect _me_? Why do I even care about this? I begin to feel very warm and a bit dizzy, then I feel a familiar, yet rare as of late, tug on my uniform jacket.

"Jade, if you're sick, you should stay in bed."

I look over my shoulder, and Saphir is tugging at my jacket. I jerk back a pace, and stare at him in disbelief. He's talking to me?

"I was walking by, and I noticed that you did not look well... Um, do you have a fever?"

Saphir tilts his head to the side and brushes his hair out of his face. When did Saphir start to grow out his hair? He begins to fiddle with his bangs while he waits for a response; however, words eluded me, and I started to become nauseous. Maybe I am coming down with something. Saphir touches his forehead, and then feels mine. I start to feel hot and rather uncomfortable.

"You _are_ a little warm. Do you have any other symptoms?" Again I do not have a response, and after a minute of silence, Saphir looks away, then mutters, "A-are, are you angry with me?"

Without thinking I found myself saying, "I could ask you the same question." Saphir flinches and focuses his attention on the floor. Why does this feel so awkward? My stomach continues to churn. Saphir's, apparently longer, hair falls over his face while he continues studying the floor. It looks kind of like falling snow... I shake my head to clear it. How long have we been standing here like this?

"We should get to class." Saphir squeaks out, then escapes down the hall. I instantly feel myself relax, the queasiness fades, and the hallway suddenly feels cooler. That's strange, I felt rather sick just a moment ago. Whatever it was, I guess it passed.

* * *

During the morning classes, I decided to organize my thoughts. Dealing with Jasper can wait, first off. If Jasper is up to something strange, his scheme would be far more transparent than anything Peony is able to think up. Therefore, dealing with whatever Peony may throw at me next takes priority. Judging by his behavior at that gala, Peony has all ready decided his next move. This next move required him to get information out of Saphir, and that information is going to lead him to Jasper.

Around lunch, I headed for the roof. With any luck, that is where Peony will manage to corner Jasper. I stop at the door, and slowly open it just a crack. Sure enough, I find Peony and Jasper engaged in another 'private' discussion.

"Damn him, he _was_ listening to us!" Peony slaps his hand on the roof's ledge.

Jasper shrugs, "Why would you think it's a big deal, Your Highness? It's _me_ he's mad at."

Peony chuckles nervously, "Well, depending on when Jade started listening, he _may_ have heard something I _may_ have said about his sister's pajamas... Which, by the way, I can _never_ fantasize about again, because said pajamas now belong to Saphir..."

"Uh..." Jasper gives Peony a confused look, "Well, uh... Sure..."

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, why _did_ you tell Saphir that stuff? You don't seriously think that's what's going on between those two, do you?"

"No, I believe the exact opposite, actually."

"Meaning...?"

"Well it's clear Jade can't see it, but I thought _you_ would have noticed it by now..."

"To tell you the truth, it didn't really dawn on me until last night. I had to go talk to Saphir to confirm my suspicion. If I noticed before now, I would've thought it was one sided."

"When this started, I thought it was one sided too. That's why I said that stuff. I wanted to put it to the test."

Something one sided I can't see? What the hell are they talking about? What was Jasper putting to the test by making Saphir think I was using him? Great, another stupid mystery. Suddenly, Peony just bursts out laughing. Now what?

"Ha, ha. This is rich. All those times Jade would question my intelligence, and he doesn't even know this! Guess they don't teach basic birds and bees here, huh? I bet whatever he's starting to feel, he thinks he's coming down with a flu!" Peony continues laughing.

When this is over, I'm going to have to come up with an extra cruel revenge plan for His Majesty. And what does he know about my current state of health? Lack of sleep can have some strange side affects!

"So, what are you going to do now, Your Highness?"

"Hmm, not sure. I'd share our theory with Saphir, but he'd think we're messing with him. Even if he did believe us, he wouldn't help us, because he wants Jade to win the bet. To make things even more difficult, he'll probably start hanging around Jade again as if nothing happened."

"What makes you say that?"

"Saphir and Jade may be alike in book smarts, but Saphir has an advantage over Jade when it comes to emotional stuff. Now that he sees Jade's been thrown off his game, because of him, he's going to do everything he can to get Jade to act normally again."

"Because it would upset Jade if he lost?"

"Exactly. Saphir will always put Jade's feelings before his own. It doesn't matter if Jade feels that way. Forget Saphir's own feelings; if Jade's happy, Saphir's happy."

"So, you think tomorrow he'll go back to following Jade?"

"I'm pretty sure he all ready started. We'll just have to be a little more aggressive with our tactics..."

"We, Your Highness?"

"Hell yeah!" Peony slaps Jasper in the back, "Since we're both on the same page, it would be more effective if we work together. Especially now that Saphir has ideas about stoppin' us."

"R-right..."

Well, being dragged into one of His Majesty's grand schemes seems to be payback enough. My anger has ebbed, and I breathe a sigh of relief. As I was debating on whether to go up to them or leave, I felt someone tugging at my arm...

"Ja~ade! Are you feeling any better?"

Saphir took me completely by surprise. I jerked back out of reflex, and since Saphir was still clinging to my arm, lost my balance, and fell against the open door, spilling both of us to the ground. Instantly, I felt warm, dizzy , and nauseous again. I put my hand to my head and groan. I look up to see Saphir's surprised expression, and as soon as our eyes meet, he squeaks and hurries to get off me.

"I'm sorry!"

I stand up and brush myself off, "Just be more more careful next time..."

"What the hell, Jade? Have you decided to take up eavesdropping as a hobby, or something?"

His Majesty puts his hand on his hips, and gives me a stern glare. I push up my glasses to hide my embarrassment. "I'm just trying to figure out your stupid riddles. You have been muttering nonsense since right before you left last night. Also, I'm sure the entire dorm could hear your _tete a tete_ last night."

Saphir lets out another squeak. His Majesty narrows his eyes, "Riddles, huh? You seriously don't know what were talking about?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, the only thing I took away from that conversation was that you apparently used to spy on my sister, and Saphir wears her pajamas. I was half asleep, and those two facts alone brought my mind to a screeching halt." Of course, about ten ideas concerning last night and this afternoon have come to mind, but I never believe anything until I'm 100% sure I have the correct one. His Majesty relaxes a little.

Jasper decides to take this moment to explain himself, "I didn't mean any harm by it... Most of what I say to him goes in one ear and out the other anyway..."

Jasper prattles on. Since I feel his predicament with His Majesty is adequate punishment, I tune him out and instead turn to look at Saphir. He's still sitting on the ground, and is now glaring at Peony. Even though he himself didn't not keep his voice down either last night, he's still blaming Peony for being overheard.

"Please don't kill me." Now Jasper is pleading for his life. This is getting ridiculous.

"Jasper, it's not a big deal. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, and if Saphir doesn't realize that I don't mind his presence, then that's his problem, not yours." I pause for a moment, then I look up at Jasper with a wicked grin, "Besides, getting involved in one of Peony's hair-brained schemes is more than enough punishment."

"What?"

"I believe that came out quite clear, Your Majesty."

Peony frowns and I hear him mutter 'you'll eat those words soon'. Saphir snickers at Peony, and Jasper slumps to the ground as if he was just saved from a monster attack. I'm still uncertain about what Peony is trying to accomplish, but at least the matter with Jasper is closed. I turn to face Saphir. He stiffens and bites his lip.

"Jade, um, I..."

"Don't worry about it; I'm not mad."

"Really?" Saphir beams, relieved.

I turn and head for the stairs, "Of course, you will be punished for not trusting me..." I hear Saphir gulp and whimper. I smile; for some reason, I really enjoy making Saphir squirm.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I can't thank everyone enough for all the kind feedback, alerts, and favs. Things are going really hectic in my life right now, so I apologize if the updates seem so far apart. I'm not giving up, though! I've read way too many awesome unfinished fics, and I'm not planning on adding to that pile. Anyway, thanks again; I really hope you enjoy the chapter! ^_^ Also and again, I don't own this stuff_.

* * *

DAY 19

About a week has gone by since Saphir stopped avoiding me, but things have still been far from normal. For one thing, whenever I sense His Majesty lurking around the school grounds, Saphir's clumsiness greatly increases. I have begun to lose count on how many times a day Saphir has tripped and fallen. Luckily, I've gotten quite good at dodging him, and letting him hit the floor. This is usually followed by a light curse from His Majesty, which makes me wonder why he's suddenly getting his kicks by pushing Saphir to the floor. The strange behavior does not stop there. Saphir has not been nearly as chatty as normal, and when he does speak, he chooses his words very carefully. The same has been going on with His Majesty and Jasper. Of course, this not at all unusual for Jasper, but I could fill a book with all the stupid phrases that pop out of Saphir and Peony's mouths. On top of all this, I'm still getting random bouts of nausea and hot flashes. I have already ruled out my diet as a factor, and I have been sleeping better this past week. It seems to be at its worst between classes, during lunch, and after school. Other than that, I have no idea what my problem is.

* * *

Today the four of us are having lunch on the roof like always, but no one has uttered even a single word yet. Funny that once I get what I wish for, I realize I prefer the noise...

"I'm **not** pushing you!" His Majesty has finally broken the silence.

Saphir smirks, "I haven't _said _anything about you pushing me, and unless you have developed the ability to read minds, which you are perfectly incapable of, you just admitted it!"

"Eh-!" Apparently, the silence is getting to them as well, "Seriously? Did I just say that out of nowhere?"

"Yes you did, Your Highness." Jasper sighs and shakes his head. This past week must have been sheer torture. I _almost_ feel bad for him.

"Whatever! Your failure rate with schemes is a lot higher than mine, so it's just a matter of time!"

"Oh, is that something one should be proud of? Never mind, that your lame tactic is a poor example of a scheme!"

That's the other thing I've noticed this week. For whatever reason, the Peony and Saphir have started some kind of contest. It's quite odd, but if it gets Peony's mind off this stupid wager of his, it is definitely for the best.

"I'm just getting started! As a matter of fact, I've got a few suggestions on how to make this even more interesting!"

"Bring it, Pea Brain! It'll just humiliate you even more when you _lose_!"

"You'll tell him what you do with his laundry!"

"Then, you'll tell him what you did with his _sister_!"

Oh, I _really_ hope they're not talking about me...

Peony hesitates and swallows hard before replying, "Fine!"

"Fine!" Saphir agrees, then they both plop back down onto the ground, focusing again on their food.

The silence resumes. Now it has the added tension of Peony and Saphir's angry glares. Jasper lets out another sigh. I'm not going to ask; it will only make things worse.

* * *

Since I inadvertently got the entire female adolescent population of Grand Chokmah to hate my guts, I have regained much of my free time and can now continue my research. Unfortunately, I noticed that the nausea and light-headed symptoms seem to be rather strong when I'm working in the labs at night. I don't let it stop me though, if I work through it, I should be able to pinpoint the cause and cure myself. Of course, Saphir does not agree with this hypothesis.

"Jade, for the last- No, it will never be last with your stubborn attitude... Please! If you don't feel well, you should rest! You won't be able to accomplish anything if you work yourself to death!"

"I'm _fine_, Saphir." Honestly, at least he still doesn't know when to quit. If he gave that up, I would be convinced that I have entered some kind of alternate plane of existence. It can't be the air in here. If that were the case, then Saphir would be even more ill than myself. I guess I could try to ask 'Mr. Hypochondriac' himself.. "Saphir? Do you have any idea why I've been so nauseous and light-headed lately?"

"Uh..." Saphir bites his lip and looks away, "How nauseous are you? C-can you keep food down? Have you passed out from the dizziness? Are you running an actual fever?"

"Not exactly, but while it's not getting worse, it isn't getting any better either. Have you ever experienced anything like that before?" I turn and face Saphir. He's twitching slightly and looking away. "Saphir?"

"I... I-I'm sure it's n-nothing! At, at l-least it isn't g-getting worse!" Saphir begins to step backward toward the door, "Um... I-I have to use the b-bathroom, excuse-me!"

And out the door he goes... He's still keeping something from me, and he's working awful hard at it. We solved the little problem with Jasper, but... I wonder if it has anything to do with his deal with Peony. That would require asking His Majesty directly, and that would go one of two ways. One way would obviously be him telling me what I want to know, and the other would be him finding a way to confuse me even more. Sometimes I wonder if Peony gets some kind of sick pleasure by vexing me. Did it just get less stuffy in here? Yes, I'm definitely feeling a bit better. But, what changed? I start tapping a pencil against the counter as I try to think. After a minute, I hear a female voice out side the room. I go to the door, and swing it open. Who else could possibly still be here?

"Okay, see you at the cafe after school! You better be there." It's that girl who chased me into lavatory almost nine days ago. Saphir is standing with her in the hall with a look of sheer shock and horror on his face. Wait. Did she just ask Saphir out on a _date_? That's it; Auldrant has stopped spinning and the fonons have all stopped flowing. I just witnessed the end of the world. She just kissed him on the cheek and has skipped down the hall and around a corner. Does Saphir even realize what just happened? He's just standing there gaping. Who does that girl think she is anyway? A loud snap brought me back to my senses. When I search for the source of the noise, I notice that half of the pencil I was holding has broken off somehow, and my hands were trembling.

Apparently, the noise brought Saphir back to the present as well, "What _was_ that?"

I put my hands, and broken pencil, behind my back. "The girl, or the noise just now?"

"Jade!" Saphir looks up at me with a terrified expression on his face, "I don't even _know_ her!"

Fishy. This is no coincidence, and it has Peony written all over it. What could he possibly achieve with this? Maybe he has some kind of twisted notion that if he can set Saphir up, he can set anyone up. Of course, that's probably true, but that certainly does not explain why he chose _that_ particular girl. I haven't thought of her after that incident until now. _Great_. Peony thinks that, because I acted differently around her, I must have an interest. Now, he conned the girl into taking Saphir out, so he can make me jealous. Ridiculous. Also, why did he have the nerve to use Saphir? If he was going to throw a girl at someone, why not Jasper, or anyone else for that matter? Next time I see _His Majesty,_ I'm going to have to _clear_ his confused mind out. Another snap.

"Jade?" Saphir tries to look behind me, and I move to face him again, "What was that sound? It sounded like something breaking." Saphir makes another attempt to look around me, and I stuffed the hand with the pencil, or what seems to be left of it, into my pocket while using the other hand to push up my glasses.

"I'm sure it's nothing. Well, who knew there existed a girl with such strange tastes?" I head back into laboratory, "Since you're going to be busy tomorrow, let's try to get as much done as we can..." _Peony, you bastard, if your stupidity blows up in your face, Yulia help you._


	6. Chapter 6

_a/n: Update, yay! I know I've been saying this every chapter, but I _really _appreciate the reviews, alerts, and favs. Trying to get into Jade's head can be kinda hard sometimes. Thanks again!_

* * *

DAY 20

I think I've had more sleepless nights in the past twenty days than I have ever had in my whole life. The '_incident' _has only ruined my sleep for about three nights straight. From this observation, I have confirmed that His Majesty and his stupid games are going to be the death of me. Only ten days left. Then, the joke will be on him. Peony's games aside, _that girl_ has also been quite irritating. The fact that she's going along with his plan pisses me off. Well, I guess any girl would jump at the chance to be involved with His Majesty, no matter the price. That still doesn't change the fact that she's going to manipulate Saphir like she claims I did to some girl I don't even remember. The events of the previous evening repeatedly flash through my mind. The more I think about it, the more I wish for that bitch's death. Peony has finally crossed the line. I have never been more livid than I am now, and this is even worse than the time Peony put a rappig in my dorm room.

His Majesty must have caught wind of my attitude this morning, since he seems to have gone more out of his way than usual to find me. As soon as I cross the gates to the school grounds, Peony grabs my arm and drags me to a less populated area. Since we are alone, I'm going to assume he even took the time to threaten Saphir to stay out of it in advance. I pull myself free of his grip and give him the most irate glare I could muster, "I do hope you dragged me over here for an explanation of last night, or this land won't be able to call itself 'Malkuth' for much longer."

"Wow, I knew you'd be pissed, but not way past 'stink-beast in my private place' pissed." Peony flashes me one of his trademark coy grins, "I mean come on, I'm just trying to see if my matchmaking skills have dulled. Hey, if I can get Saphir a girlfriend, I can find _anyone_ a girlfriend." Peony stops for a moment, then looks straight at my face, "Unless, you have some kind of problem with this set-up..."

"I'm upset, because, clearly, you staged this. Do you really believe I'm that naive? Out of all the girls around, you truly believe _that_ particular girl is a good match for Saphir?"

Peony laughs, "Ha! So, you _do_ remember her! Oh man, I'm still regretting that I didn't get to see what she did to you first hand."

I knew it. He thinks I like this girl; how disgusting! I need to clarify this matter immediately. I narrow my eyes and speak as clearly as possible, "Peony, I am not at all interested in that girl. Furthermore, why would I _ever_ be jealous of Saphir? It is utterly pointless to go through the trouble of making Saphir uncomfortable when you are _way_ off the mark."

"_Uncomfortable_?" Peony snickers, then becomes frighteningly serious, "Oh, I'm pretty sure I am _very_ close to _the mark_, Jade."

Peony leaves before I'm able to respond to his cryptic statement. It seems he's going to let this farce tonight play out. I would like to think Saphir would be rude enough to stand this girl up, but I know way too many methods Peony can, _and will_, use to get revenge on Saphir for not going along with his plan. I'm still angry. Why does the very image of that girl touching Saphir _repulse_ me? I run a hand through my hair. Every time I've been asking myself questions like that, my mind goes fuzzy. I should probably start writing down these instances, so I can see if there's a pattern. Nausea and being light-headed is one thing, but if I'm starting to loose my ability to concentrate, I must put a stop to that process as soon as possible.

* * *

That afternoon, Saphir left as soon as bell went off. He didn't wait for me like he usually does. I'm sure he wants to get this over with quickly. I'm not sure why, but when I left school I decided to head to that cafe. I'm sure Peony will be hiding somewhere nearby when he's done kidnapping Jasper from school to be his 'spy buddy'. I played that role before. Depending on the situation, I never minded much, but when he used to drag me to useless scenes, like this fake date, I would be sure I had something to do to pass the time. I may be going on my own free will tonight, but I still brought a book. However, it's quite possible I'll just use it to hit Peony on his thick skull rather than read it. When the outdoor venue was within my eyesight, I scanned the area for Peony's hiding place. I don't even have to try too hard. Saphir has already found him, unless the row of bushes he is currently glaring at from his table have offended him somehow. I take the long way around to Peony's location, so Saphir doesn't notice me joining Peony behind the bushes. When I approach, Jasper just sighs and studies the cobblestones, and Peony looks up at me and grins like an idiot. He was about to loudly announce my presence, but a swift kick to his shin shut him up. "Allow me to make this abundantly clear, _Your Majesty_. I'm only here to keep you from embarrassing yourself and my country."

"Why am I even involved in this?" Jasper groans to no one in particular.

"Because you're still being punished." You are not leaving me alone with him, Jasper. Without witnesses who knows what I'll end up doing... Jasper lets out another groan in response to my answer. I turn my attention to Saphir and that girl... Saphir is currently enduring what I had to deal with at the beginning of this month. She's talking non-stop about absolutely nothing. I must say, I'm surprised. I didn't think Saphir would act the gentleman under any circumstance. Either Peony has something to hold over Saphir's head, or he actually likes... No. That's impossible. Even finishing that thought in my mind would be ridiculous. I shift my glance toward Peony and Jasper. Peony's still grinning like an idiot, and Jasper is currently attempting to read the book I brought with me. Through the corner of my eye, I notice that girl has put her hand on Saphir's arm. Before I realize what I'm doing, I have focused my attention back to Saphir. Is he _blushing_? And, is it just me, or is that girl glaring at me? Does she even realize I'm here? For good measure, I glare back. She sticks her tongue out. All right, so she has sharper senses than I thought. She's also deliberately annoying me... and succeeding... I think I finally found someone more annoying than-

"Jade? Jade!"

-Peony. At least, he has good qualities to make up for the bad, but that doesn't stop him from being-

"Uh, Jade?"

-annoying. _Why_ is he poking me?

"Jade, you're twitching, and it's scaring Jasper. And, frankly, it's starting to scare me too."

Twitching? Funny, I didn't notice. I take a deep breath and push up my glasses. "It's nothing."

Peony raises an eyebrow and mutters, "Like hell, _'nothing'_..."

Jasper nervously whispers to Peony, "Are you _trying_ to see how far you can take things before he **kills** us all?"

"No," Peony whispers back, "He just needs to figure this out on his own. Believe me. If we straight up told him, he'd not only kill us, but he wouldn't even believe it."

I _can_ hear you two, you know, "Tell me _what_, exactly?"

"Uh..." Peony averts my eyes. Jasper puts his head behind my book. Peony steels himself before looking me in the eye again, "Like I said. This is something you just have to figure out on you own. I'm just speeding up the process. You don't like it? That's _your_ problem."

I hate when he gets all assertive. Even if it is one of the reasons I call His Majesty my friend. I think I just heard Jasper mutter, '_Dear Yulia, is he insane?_' into my book. I believe this is the first time he's ever witnessed His Majesty telling me off. I should really work on this 'fear' issue... Right now, I will refrain from pressing His Majesty any further. Arguing with him at this time would be more pointless than trying to stab a rock. I rub my temples, "Fine."

* * *

After the fiasco finally ended, I returned to my room. I still have no idea what His Majesty is trying to prove. If I want to hang onto my sanity, I'm going to have to find out. All right, let's review the facts. One: Peony has put something very important to him on the line for a bet. In theory, if he's willing to bet something of that much importance, he must believe, without a doubt, that he would win. Two: Peony admitted he was forced into a stalemate on day eleven when he could no longer set me up with any girls. At this point, Peony has started to consider, how should I put this... _other options_. Now, at this point, it seemed as if he was grasping at straws, but in about twenty-four hours his confidence seems to have been renewed. This brings me to the next point... Three: Over the following week, Peony's confidence has risen considerably, to the point where he has now made a side bet with Saphir. Of course, I have no proof that their bet has actual bearing to this one, but those two have proven on _numerous_ occasions that they both have one-track minds; not to mention, that whenever they disagree, it's _always_ about me. Four: Peony believes he has even figured out _who_ I could possibly develop strong feelings for. This was proved twice today. First, this morning with, 'Oh, I'm pretty sure I am _very_ close to _the mark_, Jade.', and second, this evening with, 'This is something you just have to figure out on you own. I'm just speeding up the process.' Putting all of this together, Peony must have concluded... That can't be right. I mean, the _very thought_ of... of... Great. My mind is getting all fuzzy again. I bang my head against the wall in an attempt to clear it. Nothing. I thump my head against the wall again. It was only when I heard the soft knocking on my door, that I realized hitting a wall, especially the one between Saphir's room and mine, was a bad idea.

"Jade? Is everything all right?" Damn these thin walls, "Jade, what was that banging sound?"

He won't go away until he's satisfied that I'm not going crazy. I cross the room and open the door. Judging by Saphir's disheveled state, I must have woken him. Saphir has always been a light sleeper. He looks up at me while trying to smooth out his hair and his... why yes, those _really were_ Nephry's... pajamas. When Saphir cocks his head toward his shoulder, I realize I was staring. As I was pushing up my glasses and redirecting my gaze, I said, without thinking, "For some reason, that look actually works for you."

Saphir's eyes widened and his face turned red, "W-what?"

"Nothing. I'm fine, and going to sleep now. Good night." I shut the door. Feeling too light-headed to care, I go to sleep without even changing out of my uniform.


	7. Chapter 7

_I'm back! Work and home life has been crazy. This chapter also took a long time to write. Again, I can't thank everyone enough for the encouraging reviews, favorites, and alerts. If it were not for everyone's support, I would never be able to get over my writer's block and finish these fics. One small warning for this chapter: Jade has a really long monologue in his head. I'm not sure how well that will go over._ _Thanks again for reading!_

* * *

DAY 21

Clouded. I woke up this morning unable to think straight. It's a good thing we get one spare uniform issued to us. I would hate to explain to people why the one I wore to bed looked so rumpled. Right now, walking to school with Saphir, it seems to be taking all of my concentration just to keep up my usual image. We've been walking in silence, which by the way, is not normal. Saphir has always had something to talk about. Instead, he only squeaked out a, 'Good morning, Jade. Did you sleep well,' and stuck his face behind our textbooks as we walked. For the record, I don't make him hold my stuff, he just does it on his own accord. I hate to admit it, but I miss our conversations. I think his chatter made me feel comfortable somehow. How _did_ things get this awkward between us? _Why_ did things get this awkward between us? And, just how is it that every time I ask myself these questions, my mind goes back to Peony's cryptic statements. Nine days. Maybe when His Majesty's time runs out, and I win this stupid bet, things will go back to normal around here. I hear Saphir sigh heavily into the books. It seems as if he's conflicted by something. I keep my focus on the path to the school, pretending not to notice that he has been sneaking glances at me throughout our morning walk. I know he won't just give me a straight answer, but I decide to try anyway, "Saphir, what's bothering you now?"

"Huh?" Saphir stiffens, eyes wide with surprise, then he buries his head back into our books, "N-nothing..."

I thought so, but I'm not going to let it go so easy this time, "Really now, Saphir. We've been together for the better part of our lives. I can most certainly tell when you're distressed." 'Been together'? That was an odd way to put that. Damn foggy head...

Saphir hugs the books as close to his face as possible, "W-what do you mean? I'm not distressed..."

Bullshit. That last statement came out in that high-pitched tone, and his shoulders are shaking. I stop and block Saphir's path, this ends now, "Saphir..."

Saphir bumps into me, and then moves a pace backward, "Eep."

"Does this have anything to do with Peony's latest plot?"

Saphir trembles behind the books, "Does what have to do with that pea brain's latest plot?"

Feigned ignorance, really Saphir? "Your depressed attitude."

"I told you, I'm not depressed!" If his voice went any higher, I'm sure only dogs would be able to hear him.

"Saphir," I sigh, I don't want to say this aloud but, "I'm worried about you."

Saphir peeks over the books, "Who are you, and what have you done to my Jade?"

"Am I really _that_ inhuman?"

"I stuck by you all these years, and _never_ have you said that you were worried about me."

Really? I stood there in front of Saphir, dumbfounded. Huh, never thought I would actually say that about myself. Saphir lowers the books and stares at me. He shifts the books into one arm, and uses his free hand to adjust his glasses. Then, he runs his hand through his hair and crinkles his nose. He usually does that when he's trying to figure out what could be wrong with one of his devices, or when he's really focused on something. My stomach flips, and I feel heat rush to my face. Wait, do I find that... cute? I mean, I haven't given it much thought, but I seem to always get this way when I see that face. '_I bet whatever he's starting to feel, he thinks he's coming down with a flu!_' For some reason, I suddenly remembered something His Majesty said over a week ago. Hold on. Before school, between classes, lunch, and after school in the labs are all times I am able to end up alone with Saphir. Could His Majesty be_ right_?

"Anyway, who's worried about who here?" Saphir puts the books down and walks closer to me with his hands on his hips, "You've been acting quite strange yourself. You want to know _why_ you have been feeling so strange? Which one is it? There's not some_thing_ on your mind, there's some_one_! So tell me," Saphir sniffles, "which one of Peony's _stupid cows_ is making you act this way?" Saphir turns away and wipes his nose on his sleeve.

As I watch Saphir try to hold back tears, I start to really scrutinize the so-called 'special treatment' I give to Saphir. When Saphir annoys me, I brush it off. When Saphir worries me or angers me, I get more frustrated at him than I would to anyone else. When Saphir is in trouble, I cannot just stand by and do nothing. When I can't figure something out, I go to Saphir. When Saphir avoids me, I need to know why. When we talk, I don't pretend to listen, I _do_ listen. I become uncomfortable when Saphir is upset. I scold Saphir when he makes me upset. And if that isn't enough to make me realize what's happening here, there's also the complete 180 my personality takes when Saphir is scared, or when I even _consider _the thought of never seeing Saphir again.

Bringing myself out of my thoughts, I need to handle this current predicament. This is not the time or place to discuss how I may or may not feel. Well, I have to at least shut him up, "Saphir, I can assure you with confidence that I'm not thinking about any of Peony's '_stupid cows_', as you so eloquently put it. To tell the truth, I'm glad most of them dislike me. They ignore me, and that suits me just fine."

I hand Saphir a handkerchief, and he blows his nose with it, "I'll wash it and get back to you."

"Keep it," I turn back toward the school, "I've been telling you to use one of those for years."

* * *

All through the morning class time, I try to sort out my strange feelings. I should try to compare my opinion of Saphir with the opinions I have the rest of my friends and family. I'll just use Nephry as an example for family, since I don't really give any care to my new family, or my deceased parents. Nephry would probably hit me if she heard that last part. Anyway, I remember Nephry's name, and I don't mind her company. She doesn't appreciate my efforts to make her happy, as demonstrated when I used fomicry to replace her stupid doll. I wouldn't let something bad happen to her, and I get rather disgusted when Peony implies he's interested in her. To me that defines my attitude toward family. So, do I think of Saphir as an annoying little brother? Remembering names and tolerating company is going to fit for everybody I care to know well, so lets move on. As appreciation goes, it doesn't take much to make him happy. Everything I do for Saphir, no matter how small the gesture, he appreciates it more than someone who just got their life saved by someone else. I have to say, though, it _is_ a bit of an ego boost. I enjoy the praise greatly. Is that normal? Anyway, I also wouldn't let Saphir be harmed, but when it comes to believing someone may be interested in him, I don't just get disgusted, I get angry. That's probably not normal either, so a brother figure can be ruled out.

Next, the status of a run of the mill friend, or someone I care to remember their name and some of their personality. I've known Jasper for about two years now, and I can say with confidence that, while I don't approve of Saphir bullying him at times, I don't think I would be too terribly hurt if Jasper were to suddenly try to leave my life. As this month has shown, I acted much differently when Saphir was avoiding me.

That brings me to my final comparison, the 'best friend'. Since I'm comparing to Saphir, that title would most likely fall to His Majesty. Oh dear Yulia, if he heard me say that, he wouldn't let me hear the end of it. I certainly know more about the pair of them then I would normally care to know. There are many occasions that both of them vex me to the point of me dreaming up their deaths, but I would never follow through on any of those plans. I'm more comfortable around them than anyone else, and I don't put up as many walls when I'm around them. If I was keeping score; however, Peony annoys me far more than Saphir. I cannot engage in intelligent discussion with Peony most of the time, since he thinks everything is a game. He also never listens. Saphir listens. Although, when push comes to shove, His Majesty can be reliable in the end, and, I'll never say this to his face but, I respect him and trust him completely. That, to me, defines a good friend.

Now where Saphir is concerned, he's loyal to a fault, but when I think about his loyalty and His Majesty's loyalty, two completely different feelings seem to surface. With His Majesty, it's respect, plain and simple. With Saphir, it's some unidentifiable warm and fuzzy feeling. I can't place it at all. Also, I could care less about His Majesty's suitors, except my sister of course, but apparently I have problems with Saphir receiving affection from someone else. Every time the thought even crosses my mind, I get mad. Since I feel the need to stress that fact a second time, it's probably important. Also unlike Peony, I can talk to Saphir for hours. Considering how most people think of Saphir as a pest, normal people don't like to hear him talk. I actually seem to enjoy talking with Saphir. When I put people's opinion of Saphir's ramblings together with my own dislike of other people's useless chatter, it doesn't make sense why I make an exception with Saphir, of all people. Perhaps, it could be that I'm the only one who understands him. I know all too well the blank stares I get from adults when I talk about my ideas, let alone my own peers. But, there's the annoyance issue to consider. Saphir grates on everyone's nerves, and I've seen him annoy even my patient sister; Hell, I've seen him annoy the Professor. Usually, I'm rather impatient with people, but if I show more patience toward Saphir than even the Professor did, something is very unusual here.

Putting those facts together, I can definitely say I know how His Majesty came to his conclusion about me having some kind of special feelings for Saphir. The big question is; is he right? Am I just simply closer to Saphir than I am to His Majesty, or is there something more?

To figure that out, I'm going to have to ask myself some interesting questions. I guess the first question would be, do I find Saphir attractive? There are definitely times where I have thought of Saphir as 'cute'. I don't usually use the adjective Peony uses to describe his rappigs to describe much of anything, never mind a person. That said, thinking about Saphir's appearance, that word _does_ stand at the forefront of my mind. I don't think many boys can pull off wearing girl pajamas without looking stupid. I also like what he's doing with his hair. Then, there's his eyes. Are they really violet? He has the cutest expressions, especially when he's concentrating... There's also the way he walks... All right, this is starting to get a little weird.

Moving on, how often do I think about Saphir? When I really think about it, he is the first person I see in the morning, and the last person at I see at night. When that changed, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Do I feel different when I am around Saphir? If I was asked this a month ago, I would say no. I believe the temporary separation from Saphir I experienced has stirred up something inside me. I have recently discovered that all of my instances of dizziness, nausea, and the like have occurred when I was either alone with Saphir or in very close contact with Saphir. Also, just thinking about this right now, I feel a bit light-headed and warmer than normal.

Can I picture myself... I run my hand through my hair, and sigh. I don't think I need to go any further if I can't even finish that statement without feeling all the blood rush to my head or hear my heart slam in my chest. This is crazy. I like Saphir. A lot. This is going to take some getting used to. Worse even, it's going to take getting used to the fact that I l-lost. Great. I'm stuttering. Breathe. I probably look like I'm having a heart attack at my desk. Calm down...

All right, now that I'm more composed, I need to think about what's next. What _is_ next? I can't just tell Peony he won. He'll brag to the world. I have to tell him eventually; we made a fair deal. Saphir should be the first to know, but why does telling him about my feelings make me so nervous? He pretty much worships the ground I walk on. That could mean anything with Saphir. That could be just respect, similar to what I think of His Majesty.

Damn! I resist the urge to slam my fist on my desk. I can't believe I lost. I can't stand those disgusting little creatures... Are all wealthy people so eccentric? My adopted family members all have outlandish hobbies as well... Granted, I shouldn't talk. I'm trying to bring back the dead after all. Ugh, I'm going to have to walk all of them every time they need to... _Repulsive_. And I'm sure that no matter how many times they get washed, they'll still stink. Is he going to make me _play_ with them as well? Then there's that stupid statement to the military and the school. Embarrassing, to say the least. What exactly is he going to make me say to everyone? How detailed is he going to get? I can't even picture any of this happening. I _never_ lose. How in the world am I going to be able to hide this from His Majesty until I get the courage to tell Saphir? If Peony were to find out first, it would be a total disaster. However, even if I manage to hide this for over nine days, I have to be honest with His Majesty. If it were not for him, I would continue to be oblivious to my own feelings. I know I lost. I wouldn't let His Majesty back down from his promise to give me a live subject, so I shouldn't try to weasel out of this myself. Still that said, I'm not letting Saphir hear such news from anyone but me, in private.

* * *

Lunchtime was once again a quiet affair. After about five or ten minutes, His Majesty breaks this silence, "Are you really not going to lecture me about last evening?"

Unfortunately, that caught me off guard, "Lecture?"

"That's weird," Jasper points out, "You were ready to kill us when we last saw you."

Ready to...? Oh, _that_. I have nearly forgotten last evening's fiasco at the cafe, "I have no idea what the two of you were trying to accomplish with all of that, so I don't even know where to begin."

"Why did you idiots make me go out with that girl anyway?" Saphir glares daggers at His Majesty and Jasper, "You not only made sure I went, you also stayed and watched. That's simply perverted and creepy."

Peony grins at Saphir, "You mean you didn't like her?"

"Tell me that's your attempt at sarcasm, Pea Brain. I'd like to think you have _some_ living brain cells inside that thick skull of yours."

"Well," Peony smiles proudly, "I believe everything is going according to my plan. I got this bet won."

Don't react, that's what he wants, "Confident, are we, Your Majesty?"

"That's right. Act ignorant all you want, Jade. I know how your mind works. If you hadn't figured it out already, you will in a couple more days." Peony turns to Saphir, "And _you're_ helping me more than you think."

"I would never help you, _especially_ when you go up against Jade."

"Not on purpose." Peony chides, "You are going to owe me your _soul_ after this."

Saphir's face becomes red with embarrassment and anger, "I never asked for any favors, so I'm not going to owe you a thing. Besides, how exactly am I helping you anyway? I don't even _want_ to know why you think you claim my very _soul_."

"I know how your mind works too, Saphir." It sometimes may not seem that way, but His Majesty is very intelligent. Just not in the same way Saphir and I are. Now that I know he has in fact already won this, his damned riddles are all starting to make sense. I need to keep my frustration at bay, though. The slightest hint that I understand him, could set him off. Honestly, I'm even _more_ shocked about Jasper knowing from the start. At least, he never believed Peony could succeed in his crazy plans. As I hear Peony draw in a breath, I groan in my head. He's not done, "You're very quiet today, Jade."

Damn. "I'm always quiet."

"You haven't shot back any witty comments, or denied any of my claims. _Fishy_..."

I must stay in control of the situation. Peony and Jasper are indeed on the same page, and know everything each other knows about 'Peony's master plan'. Jasper is just trying to stay out it, probably fearing for his life. Seriously, I need to work on that fear issue. Anyway, Saphir knows probably half of what Peony and Jasper know, due to Peony trying to get his help at one point, probably the night he visited Saphir in his room, and Saphir refusing in the end, probably because Saphir didn't want to see me lose the bet. I also noticed that Peony must have something on Saphir, since Saphir hasn't informed me of what he _does_ know. Of course, this also means Saphir has been keeping something from everyone for quite a while. If there's one thing I learned, it's that if Saphir can't tell me about something, it will always be something he believes would displease me, and this particular secret is a big one, and, what's more, Peony knows it. Getting back on track, I cannot make it appear he has won at this time. Everyone is looking at me expecting a retort. I think out line number twenty-six will do nicely, "Sometimes, it is best _not_ to respond to ridiculous statements. If you'll excuse me, I'm going back to class now." I get up, grab my things and start toward the door.

"Ah," Peony snickers, "I believe that was 'out line number twenty-six'." I turn and glare at Peony, "My babies love carrots, you might want to remember that."

Is it unhealthy to want to _murder_ one's so-called 'best friend'? I cannot let that get to me... Come on, just turn and walk away, "Think what you like." I make it out the door, but my body suddenly feels paralyzed, and I collapse to the floor behind the door. After a minute, I open the door a crack. Pick a number between one and six, Peony. If you piss me off any further, I'm going to need an idea of how you want to die.

"That's it!" Saphir squeaks, "What the Hell did you do? Jade told me he wasn't interested in any of those women you've shamelessly thrown at him, I'll have you know!"

Peony grins evilly at Saphir. He's going into full on tease mode, "Did I _say_ I found him a _girl_friend, Saphir?"

"You're really starting to grate on my last nerve, Peony!" Saphir seethes at Peony. I really wish I had a better picture of what was going on between those two. I may have figured out His Majesty's puzzle, but I'm still not sure on how much he has told Saphir. Thankfully, Saphir still seems to be in the dark about _who_ His Majesty has paired me up with. I'm sure that as long as I stay ignorant in His Majesty's eyes, he won't let anything slip in front of Saphir. I'm still very wary about it, though. I just can let those two be together without my supervision.

"So Saphir, who do _you_ think Jade would fall for?"

Saphir throws a book at Peony, "You really expect me to answer that, you shit dwelling beast!"

As Peony deflects the book, Jasper watches the exchange in awe. It is rather hard to see His Majesty as a normal person. Most people don't. I don't either half the time, but Saphir is a different story entirely. I don't think I have ever seen Saphir treat Peony like a prince, no, I _know_ I have never seen Saphir treat Peony like a prince. If people didn't recognize His Majesty, their exchanges would look like two normal friends who can't agree on much of anything. The sad thing is Peony seems to _enjoy_ the treatment. That's probably why _'Piss Jade Off Until He Snaps'_ is Peony's favorite game. Closely followed by, _'Tease the Crap Out of Saphir'_. Poor innocent Jasper. I don't think he knew what he was getting into when joined our little 'inner circle'.

"What if I do?"

"Well, I'm not."

"But your prince demands it."

"Go to Hell and rot, Pea Brain!"

Peony's grinning like an idiot, and Saphir is reaching for another book. Jasper sighs as the book sails past him, and Peony catches it. Peony chuckles, "You have to at _least_ know I'm right."

"Would I be so pissed off if I didn't believe you? I just don't know who it is, okay?" Saphir pouts.

"Do you want to know?"

Don't. I hardly ever ask anything of you. Don't do it.

"I-I'm n-not s-sure..."

"Well, I like living, so I'm not going to tell you. I'm sure Jade will tell you soon enough. Oh, and don't forget _our_ little agreement..."

"Are you sure you want me to do it? We made that agreement in front of him, you know. You also know he has a photographic memory. He learns my dark secret, he'll _demand _to know yours." Saphir gives Peony a wicked grin.

"Crap," Peony curses, he must've lost this argument. Rare, I know, but it happens sometimes nonetheless, "I forgot about that. You don't have to-"

"Well, fair's fair. I might do it. Let's let things officially resolve, then we'll talk."

Peony nods, and Jasper looks at the two with a confused expression on his face, "What agreement? You mean the thing about Jade's-" Jasper gets cut off when a book hits him in the face, "Ow! Your Highness?"

"I like living, and I haven't heard Jade's footsteps on the stairs, Jasper."


	8. Chapter 8

_Hello again! Sorry, it took so long to continue this. Combination writer's block, job crap, personal crap, etc... Thank you everyone for the fav's, alerts, and reviews! I don't think I would have been able to break 20,000 words without them. This was the hardest chapter to write. Plus, we are nearing the end. Originally, I was going to end it here. I purposely left out the last part, because I'm trying to decide if I want to write an epilogue with Jade tending the rappigs. If not, the last chapter will round out the story. If I do, the epilogue will be tacked on after the ending. Please enjoy, and thanks so much for reading!_

* * *

DAY 24

Every time I come to understand a concept, I always feel more comfortable when I have to deal with it. For example, it always seemed strange to me that, when I met Peony, he would sometimes smell like he's been rolling around in a barn. The notion became even more strange after I found out he was a prince. Then I met the rappigs, and it all became clear. Now, I can ignore his stink for the most part. Unfortunately, regarding my feelings for Saphir, this is not the case. The past two days have been even more of a struggle to keep my sanity, than this whole month, and every other difficult situation put together. That said, I have not been able to tell Saphir how I feel, because every time I so much as look in his direction, I feel as if my heart has jumped up in my throat. This has made things even more awkward between us, and I do believe I have given him the impression that I'm upset with him.

Meanwhile, I have been doing my absolute best to avoid His Majesty. One look at me, and I'm sure he'll figure out that he was right. I simply cannot deal with him right now.

* * *

The past two evenings have been rather unproductive. It's been quite hard to concentrate on my research. Tonight is no different. I can't seem to keep my eyes off him. This is ridiculous; it certainly cannot go on forever either. I just do not know what to say, and my mind stays clouded.

In an effort to clear my head, I get up and walk over to an open window facing the street. A sharp wind hits my face. It appears a storm is brewing. I gaze up at the clouds; they look rather thick. Fantastic. We're in for a pretty bad thunder storm. I don't have any problem with them, but Saphir absolutely hates thunder and lightning. As I hear the first low rumble of thunder and feel the first drops of rain hit my hand resting on the windowsill, I sigh. It's too late to try to go back to the dormitory now. We'll get completely soaked. Judging by the time, if we wait this out, we could be in danger of breaking curfew, again. That would make it thirty-seven times. I made a replica of the lock's key after the third instance; breaking the lock every time, and rousing Jasper from sleep to come help fix it, was getting rather bothersome. The first flash of lightning illuminates the night sky. One... Two... Three... Four... A loud crack and a scream from Saphir hit my ears. It's close too. Another crack of thunder... I feel arms reach around my waist as I shut the window. Saphir has buried his face in my back, and he starts to whimper. My stomach flips, and my heart starts to pound. The sensation causes me to lose my breath for a moment.

"J-Jade? A-are you okay? Y-you're trembling a little bit." Oh, shit. I'm sure he can hear my heart pounding a mile a minute as well, "I h-hope you're not s-scared t-too."

"It's nothing. It's only a passing storm. We'll be fine if we wait it out." I am relieved he can't see my face right now. I'm sure it has gotten red again. Yet another furious crack rings out. Saphir tightens his grip on my waist. I can feel his hair brushing against my neck, and his hands rubbing against my stomach. My body is starting to enjoy this too much, "It's not that bad, Saphir. How about we move away from the window?"

Much to my extreme relief, Saphir nods and lets go. After a couple of deep composing breaths, I steer him away from the window. Another loud crack. Saphir grips my arm and pulls. The wind knocks branches loudly against the window. Saphir pulls harder. The force of his tugging causes us to lose our balance, and we fall to the floor. Saphir, instead of letting go, tightens his grip on my arm as we trip. Of course, this action causes me to land right on top of him. Is that rose scent coming from him? Whatever it is, it's rather intoxicating. How _is_ it that everything about him, no matter how minor, drives me _crazy_? Focus. How long have been laying on top of him? I need to get up.

After some effort, I manage to sit up. Saphir crawls back little, "S-sorry..."

I cannot look him in the face. My breathing has become heavy, and I think I just experienced some sensory overload. "It's okay. I'm fine." I have a feeling he's not going to buy that.

Saphir puts a hand on my shoulder, "A-are you sure? Y-you don't look fine." Crack. Saphir squeaks and grabs hold of me once again. I don't think I can take much more of this. His face is buried in my neck now. I bite my lip to hold back a moan. Seriously, focus. He's not going to calm down if I'm acting strangely myself. It certainly doesn't help that Saphir has positioned himself right on my lap. My heart just won't stop pounding. I lean back against the leg of one of the desks. The storm will pass, and Saphir will calm down. Well, at least now I'm sure Peony's not just right about my ability to have feelings for someone, but also, puberty really did hit me like a brick. Only last month I believed Saphir's reaction to storms was childish, and right now, well let's just say I really am liking this attention far too much.

I hope I can keep it in. Even giving in to my desire to run my hand through his hair would be a bad idea, one wrong move will only cause Saphir more stress. Just when I think it cannot get any worse, the building gets struck by lightning, followed by the loudest crack of the evening. Saphir pulls himself so close to me, that I can feel him breathing into my ear. His breath sends shivers through my body, and my vision becomes hazy. He cannot see my expression, but he'd have to be completely oblivious to not feel my body shudder like that.

Saphir loosens his grip, but doesn't pull away, "J-Jade? A-are you a-angry?"

"No, why would you think that?"

"Y-you've been shaking a lot, a-and you're not scared..." Saphir's voice trails off. I feel him flinch under my touch, "U-um, w-what are you d-doing?"

Doing? I twitch the fingers on my right hand where he flinched. Soft. I'm stroking his hair, aren't I? I snap my hand away. I must be going insane. It felt so good. The feeling is still lingering on my fingertips, "It's nothing; we should get off the floor..."

Saphir doesn't move, he just eyes me suspiciously, "Nothing, nothing, nothing. You haven't been yourself at all these past few days, and you really think it's just _nothing_? What is wrong with you? Why won't you tell me?"

"I..." my voice dies in my throat. Saphir doesn't turn away, and his face is mere inches from mine. Once again, I feel heat rush to my face. My heart races, and I feel short of breath. I can't think, my mind is getting all fuzzy again.

Saphir frowns, and brushes my bangs back to feel my forehead, "Jade, I'm starting to get really worried." The physical contact just makes my heart beat faster, "You are a bit warm, but I don't think it's warm enough to be a fever..." Saphir's voice trails off, and he crinkles his nose. After a moment he looks away and blurts out, "Do you like somebody, um, _like that_?"

My response comes out strained, "Like what?"

"As in, you lost that pea brain's bet, like..."

He figured it out. I simply cannot believe I have been so transparent. I have to respond. I know he will not remove himself from my lap before I respond. The words just will not come. Why is this so difficult? I really have no idea how to handle this situation right now. I do not know how much time has passed since Saphir asked about the bet, but due to Saphir's frustrated sigh, I can tell time has at least passed the reasonable few seconds it should take to answer a query.

Saphir takes a deep breath, and bites down on his lower lip, before reaching out and running his hand through my own hair. As he runs through the complete length, he shuts his eyes, still biting his lower lip, and flinches back slightly. I wonder why he's flinch... _Oh, wow that's nice... _Now Saphir is staring at me, his hand still slightly raised, with a surprised expression on his face. A short spurt of logic hits me. If I was acting normally, I would have grabbed his wrist and demanded an explanation. I didn't. I still can't speak.

All right, that's it. I'm going to be cleaning rappig shit up for a whole stinking week, whether he returns my feelings or not. If I can't tell him, I'll show him. I narrow my eyes, and before Saphir is able to react to my change in expression, I grab him by the front of his uniform, and pull him into a kiss. He stiffens, but doesn't struggle to get away. I run my free hand through his hair. He grips my upper arms, and relaxes a bit.

Words cannot describe the wave of emotion that swept though me in that moment. I hardly ever get emotional at all, so this was all entirely new. It was like everything that drove me to this moment went into that kiss, from how uneasy his absence made me to the revelation of my feelings for him. After what can be believed to be forever and an instant all at once, I let go of Saphir and lean back against the desk leg. I am breathing heavily and I'm sure my face is quite red, but I no longer care. For the first time in many days, I feel like myself. When I look at Saphir, I notice he hasn't moved since I grabbed him. He looks frozen in shock. I smile wickedly. I'm still not sure about his feelings toward me, but I'm not going to let that kill my fun, "Because of you, I have to embarrass myself and play with rappigs. Never mind that fact that His Majesty is _never_ going to let me hear the end of it... What am I going to with you, hmm Saphir?"

That woke him up. He starts fidgeting like crazy, and stammers, "D-d-d-do? With m-m-m-me?" Then he faints. I manage to grab and pull him back onto my lap before he hits the floor. I really hope I didn't take that too far. What time is it anyway?

As I was debating on trying to wake Saphir, or just dragging him back to the dormitory, I hear the window slide open. I look up just in time to see Peony taking in the scene before him. He smirks as he looks between Saphir and myself, "Oh, my deepest apologies! I didn't realize I was interrupting anything!"

I glare at Peony as I lean Saphir against the side of the desk, "Don't you know how to use a door?"

"Is he unconscious?" Peony ignores my question, and climbs into the room. It must have stopped raining since he's not soaked. Without closing the window, Peony sits next to Saphir, and pokes at him. Not getting a response from Saphir, Peony turns to face me, "What did you _do_?"

"He fainted. The storm that had just passed must have given him quite a scare. Why would I ever need to knock out Saphir?"

Peony raises an eyebrow and fleers. I have a feeling his mind just went straight into the gutter. "Well..."

"That was a rhetorical question," I can't believe he was actually going to try to answer that. Oh well, if he's here, I might as well put him to work, "Help me carry him back to the dormitory, would you?"

Peony frowns, "No way," then he gives me the ridiculous grin he always uses when he's about to do something he considers 'awesome'... What now? "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

Peony dashes out of the room. At least he exited via the door... Less than a minute later, he returns, carrying a bucket of water. I grin; that will actually be amusing.

"See, this is more fun. You want to do it, or should I?"

I better not. I have Saphir confused as it is; he'll think the kiss was a prank. "Be my guest."

Without hesitation, Peony douses Saphir with the water. Saphir wakes, coughs, sees Peony and the bucket, and gives him his best death glare, "What the hell did you do that for, Pea Brain?"

Peony bursts out laughing, and I hide my own chuckle as I push up my glasses. Saphir gets up, wrings out his jacket, and tries to wipe off his glasses. He's even adorable pouting and soaking wet. It takes a full minute before Peony finally settles down, "That look on your face was priceless! That was awesome!"

Saphir pushes his wet bangs out of his face, and looks between Peony and myself. Then, he turns back onto Peony, "When did you get here? Don't tell me you've been here the whole time!"

Peony raises an eyebrow at Saphir, "Whole time? What do you mean?"

Saphir narrows his eyes, "You know what I mean! Before I passed out, when, w-when..."

"When what?" Peony looks at me, "You _did_ do something, didn't you?"

Panic took over at this point. I still don't want him to know, but instead of repeating my explanation from earlier, I spat out, "None of your business."

Saphir flinches, and covers his mouth. Peony looks between the two of us, genuinely confused. Saphir suddenly grabs Peony by the wrist, and glares, "Did you show up _before or after_ I passed out? Don't you _dare_ lie to me!"

"After, after geez!" Peony pulls out of Saphir's grip, "I found you here passed out, and I didn't want to haul your ass back to the dorm, that's all! What's _with_ you two?"

Saphir steps back from Peony toward the door, "You have no idea what happened before then?"

"None. What happened, anyway?" Peony reaches for Saphir, but Saphir steps back again.

"N-n-nothing!" Saphir squeaks, then he turns and runs out the door.

"Wait, Saphir!" Peony tries to chase, but Saphir is already gone. His Majesty turns from the door, and walks over to me. He stops just short of my personal space, and addresses me as seriously as he can, "He was white as a sheet! Jokes are one thing, but if you really hurt him..."

I interrupt him, "I did nothing of the sort." I need to go after Saphir, "It's late, I'm going now."

His Majesty does not move, "Mind telling me what's going on first?"

"Yes, I do mind," I try to go around him, but he does not let me pass. I sigh, "Look, I'll be happy to tell you all about it _after_ I deal with Saphir. Please let me go, Your Majesty."

"Fine, go. As long as you find him before he catches a cold," His Majesty steps aside, and I leave immediately.

* * *

I tried the lavatories first, but I'm sure he headed back to the dormitory, completely forgetting how late it has gotten. Before I realize what I'm doing, I break into a run when I approach the gates. Upon seeing Saphir shivering by the gate, I let out a breath that I didn't notice I was holding, pressing one hand on the brick wall supporting the fence.

Saphir removes his gaze from the ground, and looks at me, "J-jade?"

"Let's get inside," I walk over to gate, and undo the lock, "your nose is running again."

Saphir rubs his nose with his sleeve, and follows me inside. We sneak up to our floor, and I stop Saphir before he opens his door, "We need to talk."

Saphir's face turns red, and without a word, opens the door, and allows me to follow him into his room. Once the door is shut, Saphir focuses on the ground, "Um, what d-do you need to t-talk about?"

"You should get out of those wet clothes first," Saphir's face gets even redder, and I feel a blush creep up to my face as well. I push up my glasses, "I won't look if it makes you uncomfortable. I don't want you getting sick."

"O-okay," As soon as I look away, Saphir quickly changes into his pajamas. In an effort to not let my imagination wander, I try to think about what I should say, but I'm once again at a loss for words. I jump a little from the chair I'm sitting on when Saphir quietly informs me that he's decent.

All I can say to Saphir at this moment is, "About earlier..."

Saphir stares at his lap. The springs on the bed quietly creak when Saphir nervously fidgets in his seat. After some awkward moments of silence, Saphir softly speaks up, "Was that a joke?"

Does he want it to be? My heart begins to race once again. I remove my glasses, and wipe the lenes. I need to do this. Still holding the glasses in my hands, I look up at Saphir, "No, I was serious. I..." My throat dries up. I swallow to relieve it before I continue, "I like you... _really_ like you. I lost the bet." Unable to continue to look Saphir in the eye, I put my glasses back on, and turn my focus to the floor. For a time, the room seemed rather silent. I was afraid to glance at Saphir's expression. I have no idea how I would be able to handle the situation, if Saphir was completely disgusted by my confession. Actually, to tell the truth, I really haven't been able to think about the aftermath of my confession at all. Please say something, Saphir. Anything. The silence is choking me.

"You really are serious," his response was so sudden, that, even though it was hardly audible, it cut clean through the silence. I risk looking at Saphir. His face is red, and he appears positively shocked, but I don't believe I see any trace of disgust.

Gaining a little courage, I decide to get up, and sit next to Saphir on the bed. Up close, I can tell Saphir isn't upset or angry. He's nervous, _very_ nervous. His heart is pounding even louder and faster than my own. I'm not going to get a real response unless he calms down, but I don't want to just leave without knowing. I decide to wrap my arms around his waist, and pull him into another kiss. I'm not exactly sure what I was hoping to accomplish with this action, but it felt... right. Surprisingly, Saphir puts his arms around my neck and pulls me closer, deepening the kiss.

"Wow," was all Saphir could say after we pulled away.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: This is the end of a very long journey for me. I learned that creating a fanfic is much harder than it seemed, and I have a better understanding on why some authors do not complete a piece. This is my first fanfic, and I'm glad I was able to finish it even if it ends up being my weakest chapter. I know it's short, and critique is appreciated, because I have trouble with ending my original stories as well. Yeah, I really struggled with this chapter, but that first review taught me that this is more a learning experience than anything else. Thanks, to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and fav'ed. I really appreciated seeing a response to this story. Please enjoy this final chapter._

* * *

DAY 25

I woke up the following morning rather refreshed. It felt strangely pleasant to get my feelings out into the open, and, as it turns out, Saphir has had a crush on me for quite some time. Now, with that final piece of the puzzle in place, I have solved all of the mysteries. I can even tell why Saphir still seems agitated as we walk to school this morning. It's cute, actually... I keep looking straight ahead, so he cannot tell I am aware of his nervous attitude. About halfway to the school he decides to say something...

"J-jade? Um, there's s-something you should know..." Saphir's voice cracks, and he swallows hard. This is going to take all day if I don't intervene...

I sigh, "You mean about a private wager you made with His Majesty? I remember the two of you discussing that some time ago."

"O-of course you do," Saphir lets out a noise that could be considered a strained chuckle, "O-obviously, I believed you would win the b-bet, so I..."

I continue to look ahead to hide my growing grin, "So you put something of your own on the line as well..."

By now we have stopped moving, and Saphir clutches our books tightly while his knees start to shake. I know I am quite evil to be enjoying a situation like this, but I just cannot help it. I really like it when I make him nervous. I push up my glasses to cover my grin with my hand, and wait while he gets the courage to continue speaking.

"So... y-you could only imagine what he meant by t-that, um, your l-laundry... T-that I must obviously, um, do m-more than just w-wash it..." Saphir is hiding behind the books, but I can still see how red his face is getting. However, I must admire the fact that he is raising this subject without pressure from Peony. He definitely realizes that the consequences this will cause to Peony make his own consequences very much worth it.

I am tempted to go further with this, and make him say it, but remembering Peony's side of all this... Well, let's just say I now have a topic I can use to defuse a lot of Peony's gloating which will make admitting my loss a whole lot easier. Due to that, I decide to let Saphir go, this time. "I get the picture, Saphir."

He softly whimpers, "Are you mad?"

"Honestly, why do think that would anger me? It's flattering, actually..." I can almost see steam coming out of Saphir's ears as his blush becomes deeper. I decide to take it one step further by pulling him close to me and whispering right into his ear, "You should let me watch sometime."

"Huh-haa..." Saphir's reactions are always priceless. That will have to do for now; he might pass out otherwise...

* * *

As expected, His Majesty was waiting for us on the school's rooftop when we arrived for lunch. The confident grin and gleam in his eye causes Jasper to sigh in exasperation, "Ho-boy, here we go..."

I updated Jasper as the three of us were headed to the roof, and as one can observe, His Majesty just needed to look me in the eye to understand the situation. His Majesty strides over to me with a sickening cocky grin on his face, and puts and arm around me, "So, you got somethin' to tell me today, Jade?"

He is going to milk this for all of its worth, I know. I push him off me, "Clearly, you can already tell."

"Yes, but I _really _want to hear you _say_ it," Peony then turns to Saphir, "I told you, you would owe me your soul."

Saphir responded with his own wicked grin, and this catches Peony off guard. I use this time to say what I must, "Yes, yes... You were right, and I was wrong. You win, Your Majesty."

Between the look Saphir has given him, and my tone of voice, Peony realizes what's happening. He becomes a bit distressed, "Great, glad to hear it. I should write down everything you have to do with my rappigs, so I'll be going..." Peony turns toward the stairwell.

Oh no, you don't. I grab Peony's arm as he attempts escape, and he groans. I may have lost, but I am still in control. The sun hits my glasses as I glare at Peony, causing him to lean away and squint as he tries, and fails, to match my glare. "So, have you taken any trips to Keterburg lately? How are things going there anyway?"

He winces when I mock small talk to him. I tighten my grip. I can hear Saphir start to snicker, and Jasper's footsteps retreating toward the door. Peony tries the ignorance tactic, poor choice, "What makes you think I have had time for that?"

My evil smile broadens, "Well you see, this morning Saphir told me a rather interesting story about my laundry, and it got me thinking... _What the Hell did you do to my sister?_"

_END_


End file.
